Adjustable bed frame member

ABSTRACT

An improved adjustable cross frame member for use in a bed frame having side frame members and another such cross frame member. The cross frame member is comprised of a pair of elongate Lshaped elements having mutually perpendicular legs. One element is provided with a collar with tabs attaching to each of the legs of the elongate element and a bridge portion across the legs of the elements carried at each end by one of the tabs, as well as a plurality of longitudinally-spaced elongated slots. The other elongate element of the pair is provided with a finger and is inserted through the collar so that like legs of both elongate elements are in face-abutting engagement, and the finger engages one of the slots for initial selection of a bed width. The elongate elements are moved longitudinally with respect to each other to complete the width adjustment desired. The collar is provided with releasable clamping means, which includes a threaded bolt having a handle at its head end threaded through the bridge portion. The bolt is tightened against the inserted elongate element, clamping both elongate elements into positive frictional engagement with each other and locking them in the selected position of longitudinal adjustment.

United States Patent [191 Harris ADJUSTABLE BED FRAME MEMBER [75]Inventor: George M. Harris, Chicago, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Harris-Hub Company, Inc., Harvey,

Ill.

22 Filed: Aug. 21, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 282,412

[52] US. Cl 5/181, 5/185, 5/202 R, 5/282 R [51] Int. Cl. A47c 19/04 [58]Field of Search 5/181, 184, 202, 282, 286, 5/176 R, 174, 185; 108/143;248/161, 400, 413

Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Darrell Marquette [451Apr. 16, 1974 [5 7] ABSTRACT An improved adjustable cross frame memberfor use in a bed frame having side frame members and another such crossframe member. The cross frame member is comprised of a pair ofelongate'L-shaped elements having mutually perpendicular legs. Oneelement is provided with a collar with tabs attaching to each of thelegs of the elongate element and a bridge portion across the legs of theelements carried at each end by one of the tabs, as well as a pluralityof iongitudinally-spaced elongated slots. The other elongate element ofthe pair is provided with a finger and is inserted through the collar sothat like legs of both elongate elements are in face-abuttingengagement, and i 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Eigures ADJUSTABLE BED FRAMEMEMBER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally tobed frames of the knock-down type and in particular to frame memberscomprised of two or more elements to be fastened together.

As is detailed in the related commonly assigned US. Pat. No. 3,646,623to A.E. Harris et al., entitled Bed Frame Assembly, a problem has longexisted in the art because conventional bed frames of the above typehave not provided positive interlocking engagement between cross framemembers, and have required the use of a large number of fasteners,making it timeconsuming to assemble and disassemble the bed frameassembly. Furthermore, with the advent of king size and queen size"bedding, bed frame manufacturers have found it necessary to stockundesirably large inventories of bed frame assemblies of a given size,because of the complete lack of an easily manipulable and reliable meansfor adjusting the width of the bed frame assembly. The invention of theabove-referenced patent has solved such' problems quite well, and havemet with a very considerable degree of commercial success in so doing.

In order to further accommodate the quite evident demand for bed framesresponsiveto the above problems, it has also become desirable to furnishan adjustable bed frame member having the advantages of theabove-mentioned patent, and which isat the same time adjustable to manywidths and over a range within such widths by a single adjustment and ina manner which positively interlocks the elements of the bed frame. Ithas become even more desirable to accomplish the foregoing whilepreserving the advantages of lower cost and greatly simplifiedconstruction as compared to prior expedients.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the bed frame of the presentinvention provides a secure but readily adjustable interlockingrelationship between the elements of the cross frame member, whichallows the bed frame to be adjustable to and within many widths and tobe quickly and easily assembled to any desired one of such widths. Theimproved adjustable cross frame member of the present invention isadapted to extend transversely between a pair of horizontally disposedside bed frame members so as to hold such side members in spacedparallel relationship.

The improved cross frame member includes a first elongate element havingfirst means at one end for fastening the first element mom: of the pairof side frame members, with'the first element comprising first andsecond mutually perpendicular flat legs. The cross frame member alsoincludes a second elongate element which has second means at one end forfastening that second element to the other of the pair of side framemembers, with the second elongate element also comprising first andsecond mutually perpendicular flat legs.

The cross frame member further includes means for securing the first andsecond elongate elements in a selected position of adjustment with likelegs of the elements in face-abutting engagement with one another. Thesecuring means includes a collar on one elongate element which has abridge portion that extends across the gap between the mutuallyperpendicular legs of that one elongate element. Clamp means is carriedon the bridge portion and is adjustable toward and away from the oneelongate element, with the bridge portion permitting the other elongateelement to be inserted be tween the bridge and the one elongate elementso that the legs of the elements are in the just-described faceabuttingengagement, and are movable longitudinally with respect to one anotherto a selected position of adjustment. The clamp means is engageable withthe other elongate element to exert a force between the bridge portionand the other elongate element for drawing the other elongate elementinto positive frictional engagement with the one elongate element tothereby lock the other elongate element in place with respect to the oneelongate element in the selected position of adjustment until the clampmeansare released.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is aperspective view of the improved bed frame member of the invention in acomplete bed frame assembly of a large size having a supporting centerrail;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view partially broken away, of the improved bedframe member of the invention in a complete bed frame assembly of asmaller size than that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a cross frame member of the bed frameassemblies of FIG. 1 or 1A;

FIG. 3 is an enlarge sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the bed frame member'of FIG. 2 after assemblyand locking of the elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION While this invention is susceptible of embodimentin many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinbe described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention, with theunderstanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as anexemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intendedto limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of theinvention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, complete bed frame assemblies areindicated at 10 in FIG. 1, a larger-sized six-legged frame, and at 10 inFIG. 1a, a smaller fourlegged frame. Assembly 10 comprises a pair oflike spaced parallel side frame members 6 and 6 spanned by a pair ofperpendicular like cross frame members 8 and 8', while assembly 10 alsocomprises a pair of side frame members 7 and 7' spanned by cross framemembers 9 and 9'. The bed frame assembly 10 further includes a centrallydisposed support rail 5 extending between cross members 8 and 8' andpositioned midway between their ends. This rail is preferably T-shapedand helps support cross member 8 and 8 upon support legs 4 and 4 asindicated in the co-pending application of W. E. Behnke entitledImproved Central Rail Bed Frame with Connector Assembly, Ser. No.262,607 filed June 14, 1972. The legs 4 and 4' may be ofa type disclosedin US. Pat. No. 2,825,073 to C. Harris for Legs for Hollywood Beds. Thehalves of the cross members 8 and 8 on either side of the central rail 5are respectively similar to cross member 9 of the bed frame assembly 10'will be described in detail, it being understood that across member ofassembly 10 is effectively two individuallyadjustable members 9 inintegral endto-end combination.-

The cross member 9 (or 9') is comprised of L-shaped elongated elements11 and 12 (see FIG. 2). Element 11 is comprised of first and secondmutually perpendicular legs 'I3-and 14 of similar transverse width,while element 12 is similarly comprised of first and second mutuallyperpendicular legs 13' and 14 of transverse width similar to thecorresponding legs of element 11. Asis well understood in the art, bothelements 11 and 12 are respectively fastened 'at one end to side framemembers 8 and 8' by suitable means, here a rivet inserted through holes15 at the ends of legs 14 and 14 of elements 11 and 12 and throughsimilar holes in the ends of the side frame members 7 and 7'. In thisman- ,ner both elements 11 and 12 are positioned so that both legportions 13 and 13 are vertically oriented, and both, leg portions 14and 14 extend outwardly hori'zontally from the upper edges of legs 13and 13', respectively, and in the same direction. Thus, when theelements 11 and 12 are moved adjacent to each other, they may easily beplaced in a relationship wherein legs 13 and 14 are in face-abuttingrelationship with legs 13' and 14' respectively t I Element 11 isprovided'near its end opposite that fastened to aside or central memberwith a finger 30 protruding outwardly from leg 13 in an oppositedirection from leg 14, preferably formed by stamping methods whichdepress a rectangular section of leg 13 at an angle to the planethereof. Complementing the finger 30 are a plurality of longitudinallyspaced, elongated, generally rectangular slots 32, 33 and 34 (FIGS. 1and 1a) in leg 13' Of element 12. Both finger and slots lie along a linegenerally medially of their respective legs. Slot 32 corresponds to thewidest position of adjustment, slot 33 corresponds to the medialposition of adjustment, while slot 34 corresponds to the narrowestposition of adjustment in the case of the double assembly 10 of FIG. 1;these positionsrelate to bedding of king, queen, andregularsize-respectively.

Element 12 is provided with a collar assembly 16 adjacent its free endwhich reaches almost'completely around the periphery of the'elem'ent I2,and which carties on one of its members a clamp means 25; theseelementsin cooperation enable the elements 11 and 12 to be securedtogether to formthe complete member 9 in a positive manner, whileallowing complete freedom to adjust the width of the entire member overa range of values. Collar 16 includes planar tabs 17 and 18,respectively, attached to legs 13' and 14, onthe outside surfacesthereof so as to lie flat against those surfaces;

preferably; the tabs are attached to the legs by a spot welding process.The tabs could likewise be made as an integral part of legs 13' and 14',respectively. Reference should be made to FIG. 3 for a betterappreciation of the manner of construction of the collar and itsrelatibnship to the member 9 and its elements 11 and 12. Particularly"in FIG. 3, it can be seen that each of the tabs 17 and 18 projecttransversely outwardly of legs 13' and 14, respectively, by a distancewhich is asubstantial fraction of the transverse width of the legs 13'and 14'. The collar 16 further includes bridge portion 20 which extendsbetween the outwardly projecting portions of tabs 17 and I8 andintegrally therewith to bridge the gap between the legs 13 and 14 ofelement 12. Bridge portion 20 is provided with angular bends 22 and 23projecting generally outwardly of the ends of tabs 17 and 18, tofacilitate the assembly of members 11 and 12. Thus, the collar 16,together with legs 13' and 14, form a closed generally tubularreceptable adjacent an end of element 12, of generally triangular crosssection.

Clamp means 25 carried on bridge portion 20 of the collar comprises athreaded bolt 26 having-a handled portion 27 at one end thereofextending perpendicularly to the threaded portion of the bolt. Bridgeportion 20 has an internally threaded opening or aperture into whichbolt 26 is threaded with the aid of handle 27, enabling bolt 26 to bescrewed by hand toward or away from the line of intersection betweenlegs 13' and 14 of element 12.

The cross frame member 9 is assembled by passing the end of element 11into the tubular receptacle formed by collar 16 and the end of element12 to which it is attached. Such placement of the element II throughcollar 16 is carried out so that legs 13 and 14 of element 11 are inface-abutting relationship with legs 13' and 14', respectively, ofelement 12, and so that linger 30 is received within one of the slots32, 33 or 34 in sliding engagement therewith. In this manner, a widthfor the bed assembly is initially chosen. Once the element 11 has beenpositioned in this manner and passed through collar 16, a finaladjustment of the length of the entire member 9 may be carried outsimply by sliding either of the elements 11 or 12 longitudinally withrespect to the other, to increase or decrease the width of the member bymoving the finger 30 over any of the range of positions within theselected one of the elongated slots 32-34. It should be understood that,if necessary, bolt 26 is threaded outwardly of bridge 26 to providesufficient clearance enabling element 11 to be inserted in element 17.When the desired width has been obtained by such relative longitudinaladjustment of the elements, they are positively locked at that positionby the use of clamp means 25, that is, by turning the handle 27 to screwthe bolt 26 inwardly toward the overlapping face-abutting elements 11and '12 and toward the intersection of their respective legs, until theleading end of the bolt contacts the inside of legs 13 and 14 of element1 1 and forces them firmly against the corresponding legs 13 and 14' ofelement 12, as is shown best in FIG. 3. The frame member 9, as finallyassembled into a unit, is shown in FIG. 1, and in more detail in FIGS. 3and 4. Because collar 16 is firmly attached, or indeed may be madeintegrally with, element 12, the tabs 16 and 17 of the collar may bethought of as forcing the legs 13' and 14' of element 12 into contactwith the corresponding legs of element 11. By the same token, bolt 25may be thought of as exerting a force between bridge portion 20 andelement 11 to force it against element 12.

In any case, manipulation of the handle 27 to tighten screw 25 creates arigid, very high strength union between the frame elements 11 and 12,with a strong positive frictional engagement between the like faces ofthe respective elements. Despite the strength of the joint, member 9maybe almost instantly adjusted to a new length, or indeed completelydisassembled just as easily, by the simple expedient of manipulatinghandle 27 to loosen bolt 26, and moving the elements longitudinally withrespect to each other.

Because no matter what the width adjustment, a portion of one frameelement overlaps the other within collar 16, the assembled member 9 issubstantially as secure from the influence of buckling forces as acontinuous one-piece member would be. Similarly, the frictionalengagement of at least the opposed areas on elements 1 1 and 12 whichare congruent with collar 16, as well as the engagement of the finger 30within a slot 32-34, guarantees against change of width adjustment, nomatter what the setting. The complementary construction of the elements11 and 12 allowing faceabutting engagement of like element legs togetherand the finger-slot. engagement, with the action of the clamping meansin locking the elements in this complementary relationship, alsoguarantees a very high resistance to twisting forces. These factorsinsure an adjustable frame member of unusual rigidity and strength, yetwhich is at the same time unusually easy to adjust as well as beingrelatively uncomplicated in construction and adaptable to economicalmanufacture.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable elongated bed frame member adapted to extendtransversely between a pair of horizontally disposed further bed framemembers so as to hold said further bed frame members in spaced parallelrelationship, said adjustable member comprising: a first elongateelement having first means adjacent one end for fastening said firstelement to one member of said pair of further bed frame members, saidelement being comprised of first and second mutually perpendicular flatlegs, said first leg being provided with a finger protruding outwardlyfrom the first leg thereof; a second elongate element having secondmeans adjacent one end for fastening said second element to the othermember of said pair of further bed frame members, said second elementbeing comprised of first and second mutually perpendicular fiat legs,the first leg of said second element also including a plurality oflongitudinally spaced and longitudinally elongatedvariableposition-defining slots adapted to receive said finger thereinin slidable engagement therewith when like legs of said elongateelements are positioned in faceabutting engagement with one another; acollar secured to said second elongate element adjacent the end oppositesaid end carrying said second fastening means and bridging the gapbetween said mutually perpendicular legs of said second elongate elementto join said legs, said collar permitting said first elongate element tobe inserted for said face-abutting engagement with the second elongateelement, said elements being movable longitudinally with respect to eachother to slidably engage said finger within any selected one of saidplurality of slots, said elements being further longitudinally movableto move said finger within the selected slot to achieve a selectedposition of adjustment for said adjustable member; clamp means carriedon said collar and engagable with said first elongate element forexerting a force between said elongate elements to draw said elementsinto positive frictional engagement with said finger being receivedwithin one of said slots, thereby locking said second element in placewith respect to said first element in said selected position ofadjustment until said clamp means is released.

2. An adjustable bed frame member as in claim 1 in which said finger isgenerally rectangular in form and is integral with said first leg andinclined outwardly at an angle to the plane of said first leg.

3. A bed frame member as in claim 1 in which said finger and said secondleg extend from said first leg of said first element in oppositedirections.

4. A bed frame member as in claim 1 in which said finger is positionedgenerally medially of said first leg of said first element, and saidslots are complementarily positioned along a line generally medially ofsaid firs leg of said second element.

5. A bed frame member as in claim 1 in which said collar is carried onsaid second element between said end opposite said fastening means andsaid slots, and in which said clamp means includes a bolt carried bysaid collar and movable therethrough into engagement with said elongateelements to lock said elements together in said selected position ofadjustment.

1. An adjustable elongated bed frame member adapted to extendtransversely between a pair of horizontally disposed further bed framemembers so as to hold said further bed frame members in spaced parallelrelationship, said adjustable member comprising: a first elongateelement having first means adjacent one end for fastening said firstelement to one member of said pair of further bed frame members, saidelement being comprised of first and second mutually perpendicular flatlegs, said first leg being provided with a finger protruding outwardlyfrom the first leg thereof; a second elongate element having secondmeans adjacent one end for fastening said second element to the othermember of said pair of further bed frame members, said second elementbeing comprised of first and second mutually perpendicular flat legs,the first leg of said second element also including a plurality oflongitudinally spaced and longitudinally elongatedvariableposition-defining slots adapted to receive said finger thereinin slidable engagement therewith when like legs of said elongateelements are positioned in face-abutting engagement with one another; acollar secured to said second elongate element adjacent the end oppositesaid end carrying said second fastening means and bridging the gapbetween said mutually perpendicular legs of said second elongate elementto join said legs, said collar permitting said first elongate element tobe inserted for said face-abutting engagement with the second elongateelement, said elements being movable longitudinally with respect to eachother to slidably engage said finger within any selected one of saidplurality of slots, said elements being further longitudinally movableto move said finger within the selected slot to achieve a selectedposition of adjustment for said adjustable member; clamp means carriedon said collar and engagable with said first elongate element forexerting a force between said elongate elements to draw said elementsinto positive frictional engagement with said finger being receivedwithin one of said slots, thereby locking said second element in placewith respect to said first element in said selected position ofadjustment until said clamp means is released.
 2. An adjustable bedframe member as in claim 1 in which said finger is generally rectangularin form and is integral with said first leg and inclined outwardly at anangle to the plane of said first leg.
 3. A bed frame member as in claim1 in which said finger and said second leg extend from said first leg ofsaid first element in opposite directions.
 4. A bed frame member as inclaim 1 in which said finger is positioned generally medially of saidfirst leg of said first element, and said slots are complementarilypositioned along a line generally medially of said first leg of saidsecond element.
 5. A bed frame member as in claim 1 in which said collaris carried on said second element between said end opposite saidfastening means and said slots, and in which said clamp means includes abolt carried by said collar and movable therethrough into engagementwith said elongate elements to lock said elements together in saidselected position of adjustment.